Canine Solidarity
by Jenwryn
Summary: Remus/Sirius. Marauder Era fiction, set when they're about 15 years old. Remus and Padfoot are mucking around on the edge of the Forbidden Forest when some Slytherins turn up. Friendshippy. Pre-slash.


_Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. Original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. Not beta read, don't shoot._

* * *

**Canine Solidarity**

Up, down, along, around. White flecked with snow gleaming brilliant in the sunlight, a boy and a dog run wild at the pale shadowed edges of the Forbidden Forest. The boy plays like a small child even though he's seen the cold of at least fifteen winters, and for once his tired, strained face laughs with light ease as he kneels in the snow and hugs the dog's scruffy head with affection. The dog, a big, black mongrel with iced toes and dancing eyes, barks in his ear. It's tail beats happily against the frozen ground, sending puffs of white up into the air like quick little breaths. Padfoot can reach Remus in a way that Sirius cannot and he knows it. Sometimes he wonders if it's because Remus half forgets the wizard inside the dog, because so often when he sees its black shaggy shape he himself is far removed from his own human mind. Whatever the reason, Padfoot isn't bothered. He bangs his freezing damp nose against the boy's cold-pink cheek and grins at him with a burst of doggish fish-breath before leaping away, half bounding and half wading through the snow. Sometimes _he _half forgets the wizard in the dog too and he wriggles with canine delight as he sees Remus snatch up a stick, dark and knobbly against the ground, and when the boy pulls back his arm and throws it with all his might, Padfoot lets out an enthusiastic bark and races after it, seeking the scent of Remus' gloved hands at the tree line—

—and comes to an abrupt halt, sliding and sinking into the snow as a much less pleasant smell comes to him on the breeze, something ominous to his acute senses. His hackles rise slightly; something wicked this way comes. Snatching up the stick out of compulsive habit, he turns and races back to Remus but it's too late, and too late to turn back to a boy without _them_ seeing him. _Idiot!_ He watches from a short distance away as Avery, Mulciber and pathetic little Snape stride towards them. Remus hasn't noticed them; he can't taste the odour of Slytherin souls on the air like Padfood can. Suddenly worried that the boy will let something slip in his belief that they are alone, the dog continues to run to his side, dropping the stick to let out a sharp warning bark.

He's just reached his friend when a snowball whirls through the air, well compacted, and hard enough to make water spring to Remus' eyes when it slams into the back of his head before breaking apart and streaming snow down the inside of his collar. He turns so fast at the unexpected impact that he loses his footing and lands on his backside on the ground beside Padfoot, who backs off a few steps before the advancing Slytherins and raises his upper lip, growling low.

"_Heard_ you had a doggie-doggie, Lupin," croons Avery. "but I didn't believe it. How'd a little squirt like you manage to sneak it onto the grounds? After a trip to Hogsmeade?"

"Bit big to stick up your jumper, even if your clothes are three sizes too big for you," adds Mulciber with a snicker.

Padfoot's growl changes tone, becoming deeper and louder, but Remus sticks a hand out and closes his fingers around the dog's snout to shut him up. _Oh, fantastic. Moony's going to try the pacifist approach again. Does he actually want_ _to get hexed or beaten up? _

Mulciber and Avery seem to be wondering the same thing and they burst out laughing. The dog's eyes dart towards Snivellus. He's hanging back as usual; never really involved in anything, that one. Besides, isn't he all matey with Lily Evans? And Lily Evans is matey with Remus, even if she won't give the other Marauders the time of day. It wouldn't look good for Snivellus to pick on his friend's friend, would it? Padfoot can practically see the cogs whirring beneath all that greasy hair, and whereas he can smell nothing but aggression and a certain itch for trouble from the others, Snape reeks of fear.

But then, Snape just about always stinks of fear. He's so pathetic.

Remus climbs to his feet and brushes the snow from his gloves onto his cloak.

"Actually, he's Hagrid's."

That was the story they'd decided to put about if anyone asked. It had been James' idea. The Keeper of Keys and Gates always has so many random animals flinging around that one more surely wouldn't be noticed, and Padfoot is big and scruffy enough to suit his tastes. Of course, he isn't a boarhound, and Hagrid has confided to Remus that that is his preferred breed but – well – Avery is hardly going to know that, is he? He wouldn't deign so much as to _speak _to Hagrid, let alone get into his confidence over a cup of strong black tea and some indigestible rock cakes…

Avery and Mulciber exchange a glance. "Really? And that buffoon just lets you play with him, does he? Out here like a great big baby mucking around in the snow with some doggie-doggie? What are you, Loony Lupin? Five?"

"Fifteen," corrects Remus and a note of cold has seeped into his voice. It's a danger sign – he _hates _being called that name – but Padfoot is the only one who recognises it. Except perhaps Snivellus, who says abruptly, "Come on, let's go. What do we care about Hagrid's stupid dog anyway?"

Measley slimer he is, but for once Snivellus might be useful too.

Mulciber spits in the snow and nods. "Yeah, let's go. I wanna see if I can nail me a little piece of that Aurelia Macmillian."

Padfoot's hackles rise again and a furious, strangled growl escapes him. It's not his fault. He can't help it. In wizard form, maybe, he could have ignored the revolting Slytherin and just sworn blue murder about it later, but the canine has a certain code of honour and the manner in which Mulciber treats girls and younger boys breaks every one of them.

Avery gives him an unreadable stare. "I don't like this mongrel. And I don't think it's that idiot gamekeeper's, either. I think you snuck it in, Loopy. I don't think it's supposed to be here at all. I think Gryffindor's pitiful little Prefect is breaking rules."

"He _is _Hagrid's," insists Remus quickly. "You can go ask him if you want." It's a bluff, since Hagrid has never even seen Padfoot before, but he's always had soft spot for the Marauders and especially for the werewolf, and he can probably be counted upon to cover up for them, and then ask loud and bothersome questions later.

But Avery has made up his mind.

"You're lying. If he's supposed to be here, why're you practically in the Forbidden Forest, eh?" And without warning, not even a shadow of it, he swings out a heavy boot in a kick that takes all the air out of Padfoot's lungs and sends him flying along the snow with an anguished yelp.

"You leave him alone!" shouts Remus, panicked mainly because they're hurting his friend, but also because he's afraid of what might happen if Padfoot looses consciousness – will be become human again, here and now, right beneath the hateful gaze of the Slytherins? Remus can't risk that, not after all the trouble that his friends have taken to become Animagi, not now that for the first time in his life he isn't desperately alone every month, no, he won't lose that. With an outraged yell he launches himself at Avery—

—and the bang and the flash of a Stunning Spell zoom through the air and send him flying backwards into the snow beside Padfoot, who is doing his very best to look like a dog out of the battle, even though inside his head he's growling at full volume in rage at having seen Remus get hurt.

Snape lowers his wand.

"I could have done that," complains Avery.

The greasy-haired boy shrugs. "It's not like I get much of a chance to practise, is it?" He seems oddly pleased with himself. Maybe he thinks he's done Remus a good turn. Ha.

With a laugh and one last glance at the sprawled Gryffindor, they saunter off...

* * *

Remus wakes to the feel a warm hand at the edge of his face, touching his curls where they hang, snow-damp, above his ear. For a moment he just lays there, a little dazed from having been Stunned, then he opens his eyes to find Sirius looking down at him in deep concern from behind a curtain of unkempt hair.

"Hey", says Remus by way of greeting and for a second Sirius's hand lingers, then he stands up and thrusts it out to help Remus to his feet.

"Congratulations, Moony, you just got Stunned by Snivellus. You can boast about that when he grows up and becomes a murky old Death Eater."

Remus laughs, accepts Sirius's hand, and stands up. The snow down the back of his clothes has melted and now he feels stiff and cold. Sirius doesn't seem to have noticed that he hasn't let go of Remus's hand, which is puzzling in a pleasant way so he avoids drawing attention to the fact and says instead, "I hope they couldn't see you when you changed back, Black."

Sirius rolls his eyes in mock offence. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. Despite popular belief, I'm smarter than you, mate. What got into you, going for him like that? You could at least have gotten out your wand and hexed him or something. It's not like James and I haven't taught you some good ones."

An grin slips into Remus' eyes and, without meaning to, he squeezes Sirius's hand. "Canine solidarity. Hasn't anyone ever told them it's wrong to kick dogs? Besides…" His lips twitch slightly. "I think for a split second there I forgot I was a wizard."

Sirius squeezes his hand back, then lets go and looks at him and for a second Remus thinks its all about to get very weird. Sure, Sirius has always been prone to weirdness, but there's a distinctly new way to how he's staring at Remus. "What?" the werewolf asks.

"Nothing. Just, you're an idiot, is all."

"Oh, and you aren't?"

They laugh, and shrug away the snow that has caked to their clothes, and then there's another slightly strange moment before Sirius seems to come to some internal conclusion and hooks his arm with Remus's. Joined at the elbows they head back towards the castle. It's noteworthy, thinks Remus, that Sirius is prone to these paradigm shifts, and he files this one away in his brain to think about. Outloud he says, "Of course, we can't just let them go unpunished. Booting dogs and Stunning people indeed. Unheard of. We'll have to put James' devious brain on the path of vengeance…"

Sirius grins and nods. "Sure. More importantly, though, let's see if he want to join us in a jaunt to the kitchens. I don't know about you, but all that snow has made me peckish."

"Mm, you're right. Much better plan…"

Their arms swing slightly.


End file.
